System, method and computer program product for providing notifications from a virtual device to a disconnected physical device

• US 9,380,562 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypori LLC
• Original Assignee: Hypori Inc.
• Inventors: Vetter, Brian J., Marston, Justin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US14/160,877
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/414, 455/408, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for providing notifications to physical devices when they are disconnected from corresponding virtual devices. In one embodiment, a system includes a host server executing a virtual device, and a notification server. A notification manager on the virtual device receives notifications and forwards them to the notification server when the physical device is not connected to the virtual device. The notification server stores the notifications and also stores a set of filters. The notification server identifies user, group and location information from a token of the physical device, retrieves notifications for the user and selects filters based on the information from the token. The notification server applies the filters to the notifications to produce sanitized notification information, and forwards this sanitized notification information to the physical device.

Claims

1. A system for providing notifications from virtual devices to users of corresponding physical devices, the system comprising:

a host server executing a virtual device, wherein the virtual device includes a notification manager that receives notifications from one or more notification sources; and

a notification server coupled to the host server, wherein the notification server receives the notifications from the notification manager and stores the notifications in an event store;

wherein the notification server receives authentication information from a physical device that is disconnected from the virtual device and identifies a user based on the authentication information;

wherein the notification server identifies one or more of the notifications in the event store that are associated with the identified user and retrieves the identified one or more of the notifications from the event store;

wherein the notification server selects one or more filters from a filter store based on the identified user, one or more groups associated with the user, a location associated with the user, or a combination thereof;

wherein the notification server applies the selected one or more filters to the retrieved one or more notifications to produce filtered notification information, wherein the filtered notification information excludes at least a portion of the information contained in the retrieved notifications; and

wherein the notification server provides all or part of the filtered notification information to the physical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification server stores the notifications in the event store when the physical device is not connected to or actively using the virtual device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification server provides all or part of the filtered notification information to the physical device by allowing a service executing on the physical device to pull all or part of the filtered notification information from an interface of the notification server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more notification sources comprise one or more applications executing on the virtual device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification server is configured to receive notifications from one or more server machines external to the host server, the one or more server machines sending the notifications to the notification server independently of the virtual device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises an authorization token for authenticating either the physical device or a person using the physical device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual device is one of a plurality of virtual devices executing on the host server for the physical device and wherein each of the plurality of virtual devices includes a notification manager that receives notifications from one or more notification sources.

8. A method for providing notifications from virtual devices to users of corresponding physical devices, the method comprising:

receiving by a notification server notifications from a virtual device executing on a host server;

the notification server storing the notifications in an event store;

subsequent to receiving authentication information from a physical device, the notification server performing;

identifying a user based at least on the authentication information;

identifying and retrieving one or more of the notifications from the event store that are associated with the identified user;

selecting one or more filters from a filter store based on the identified user, one or more groups associated with the user, a location associated with the user, or a combination thereof;

applying the selected one or more filters to the retrieved one or more notifications to produce filtered notification information, wherein the filtered notification information excludes at least a portion of the information contained in the retrieved one or more notifications; and

providing all or part of the filtered notification information to the physical device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the notification server stores the notifications in the event store when the physical device is not connected to or actively using the virtual device.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving notifications from one or more notification sources.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the one or more notification sources comprise one or more applications executing on the virtual device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the one or more notification sources comprise one or more server machines external to the host server, the one or more server machines sending the notifications to the notification server independently of the virtual device.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the authentication information comprises an authorization token for authenticating either the physical device or a person using the physical device.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the virtual device is one of a plurality of virtual devices executing on the host server for the physical device and wherein each of the plurality of virtual devices receives notifications from one or more notification sources.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a notification server having at least one processor to perform:

receiving notifications from a virtual device executing on a host server;

storing the notifications in an event store;

subsequent to receiving authentication information from a physical device;

identifying a user based at least on the authentication information;

identifying and retrieving one or more of the notifications from the event store that are associated with the identified user;

selecting one or more filters from a filter store based on the identified user, one or more groups associated with the user, a location associated with the user, or a combination thereof;

applying the selected one or more filters to the retrieved one or more notifications to produce filtered notification information, wherein the filtered notification information excludes at least a portion of the information contained in the retrieved one or more notifications; and

providing all or part of the filtered notification information to the physical device.

16. The computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notification server stores the notifications in the event store when the physical device is not connected to or actively using the virtual device.

17. The computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notifications are from one or more applications executing on the virtual device.

18. The computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notifications are from one or more server machines external to the host server, the one or more server machines sending the notifications to the notification server independently of the virtual device.

19. The computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the authentication information comprises an authorization token for authenticating either the physical device or a person using the physical device.

20. The computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the virtual device is one of a plurality of virtual devices executing on the host server for the physical device and wherein each of the plurality of virtual devices receives notifications from one or more notification sources.